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I’m going to be honest with you, folks, I’ve written this blog post specifically for those few chaps on Twitter whose condom non-knowledge is directly contributing to the spread of sexually transmitted infections, including antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. The World Health Organization estimates that one million new STIs are “acquired” every single day, so, yes, it definitely is time that we answered: Which STIs do condoms not protect you from?
There are too many dangers out there for you lot to still be this stupid about sex. And no, I don’t give a single fuck about your feelings. Sit down and shut up. If no one else (including yourself) is capable of educating you on condoms and all things safe-sex, I’ll have to do it myself.
A Caveat:
Before I continue, I would just like to say two things:
1: Wear condoms during sex. The information here is not an excuse for you to not wear them.
2: If you use this blog post as an excuse to avoid wearing condoms, I’ll use every stalking skill at my disposal and go full Liam Neeson on your ass. My stalking skills are unmatched. I dare you to tempt me.
Do I make myself clear?
Condoms & STI Prevention: Let’s Talk About It
If you believe that condoms leave with you “virtually no chance” of getting a sexually transmitted infection, you are wrong (and you should get yourself to an STI clinic immediately.)
As Your Sexual Health states:
“If you’re using a condom during sex, you might think there is no chance that you could catch an STD like chlamydia, but this is a complete myth!”
As per the CDC, most condoms work to prevent the spread of certain STIs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and HIV; but not all infections require that much sexual contact to spread. This includes STIs like herpes, HPV, Hepatitis B, and more. There are also condom caveats for every. single. STI.
Don’t worry, though; we’re going to talk about all of that today.
STIs That Condoms Do Protect Against, But…
As Cleveland Clinic states:
“Condoms are one of the best ways to protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections.”
And they really are when they’re used properly and you’re properly educated about them. Not just great for helping to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections, condoms also help to prevent unwanted pregnancies. They’re not foolproof, though. Experts say that condoms are 98% effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies, so two people out of every one-hundred, on average, will still get pregnant even if they do use condoms during sex.
NHS Inform Scotland has some interesting ‘real use’ statistics too, showing that condoms are only actually 85% effective at preventing pregnancies in real life settings, mostly due to user error, the condom slipping off, breakage, inadequate quality condoms, wrong size, or other such events.
This means, 15 people out of every one-hundred will fall pregnant despite using condoms.
If a condom is only 85% effective (in a ‘real use’ setting) to prevent pregnancy, how can you possibly expect it to be 100% effective at preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections? Le sperm is meeting le egg; therefore, the STI-causing organisms present in the fluids of said sperm and egg have already changed bodies… and the damage is already done.
Condoms can help to reduce the chances of you contracting the following STIs, but you are far from safe, my friends:
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is transmitted by vaginal fluids, semen and pre-ejaculate, blood, and saliva. The latter is less common, but still, kissing can cause transmission before you even get to the point of needing to put a condom on. (You should still use one.)
Thankfully, you can get vaccinated against Hep B, and it is now part of the six-in-one vaccine for babies in the UK.
You can get tested for it at STI clinics, or via a blood test (from a finger prick) at home, using free services such as SH:24 (which I’ve used and can highly recommend!)
HIV
Both male and female/internal condoms help to prevent the spread of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus,) but when you take those ‘real use’ scenarios into account, the effectiveness drops to around 70% to 80%, according to the CDC. Again, the reduction is due to things like condoms breaking, slipping off, using the wrong lubricant (i.e. baby oil,) etc.
Lambskin and other condoms made from natural membranes/materials do not work to prevent HIV (and other STIs) because of the teeny-tiny holes in the membrane itself. They allow organisms to pass through, which doesn’t give effective protection.
Synthetic materials, such as rubber, latex, or polyurethane, don’t contain these same tiny holes, so condoms made from them offer much more protection.
You must use the right type of lubricant for the right type of condom.
Baby oil, for example, will physically damage the following:
- Latex condoms
- Latex-free synthetic condoms
- Latex-free plastic condoms
PrEP, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a great tool in the fight against HIV and reduces the chance of getting infected by up to 99%!
There’s absolutely no shame in protecting yourself as much as possible, by the way. Taking PrEP doesn’t make you a gay man with AIDS; it makes you a smart lover who gives a shit about their sexual and physical health (and the health of others!)
Chlamydia
Condoms do work pretty well to stop the spread of chlamydia during anal or vaginal sex. Sadly, those aren’t the only places that chlamydia-causing bacteria lives; it can also be found in the throat. If condoms aren’t used during oral sex, the sexually transmitted infection can still be passed from one partner to another.
That’s not the only way that you can get chlamydia from a partner while wearing a condom, though; it’s a very contagious STI. Traces of it can be found all around the genital area during sex, especially from pre-ejaculate. These areas aren’t covered or protected by a condom, which means transmission can still happen. Recent studies suggest that chlamydia bacteria can even be found in the gut!
When you add user error, breakage, slipping off, and other condom-related issues during sex, the effectiveness of condoms to prevent chlamydia go down to around 60%.
Your Sexual Health States:
“Condoms are only 50-90% effective against chlamydia transmission.”
As a side note, it is thought that up to 80% of women and 50% of men have chlamydia with absolutely no symptoms. It’s vital that you get yourself regularly tested even if you think you’re safe. (Unless you want infertility and an increased chance of prostate or cervical cancer, of course.)
Trichomoniasis
In much the same that chlamydia often presents with zero symptoms, trichomoniasis (a parasite) can also do the same. And again, just like chlamydia, trichomoniasis can be found all over the genital areas, including the tissue and/or fluids of:
- Base of the penis
- Vulva
- Labia
- General genital skin
A condom doesn’t cover those areas, so one can’t offer protection or a barrier. You can catch trichomoniasis from a sexual partner even if you’ve used condoms every single time you have sex.
Thankfully, a quick course of antibiotics usually resolves this sexually transmitted infection – but it’s just one more case showing just how much you can’t rely on condoms alone to protect your sexual health. (Wear a condom.)
Gonorrhoea
Condoms provide a pretty good barrier for vaginal, penile, and anal protection against gonorrhoea… but, again, the bacteria that causes it can live in the throat, too.
Again, just like the STIs we’ve discussed before it, gonorrhoea can also be transmitted through vaginal secretions and pre-ejaculate before the condom even goes on. Those same fluids can also (even microscopically) drop or leak on to the labia, vulva, penis base, and scrotum, which, in turn, can cause skin-to-skin transmission because condoms don’t cover those areas.
You should absolutely wear a condom (male and/or female plus dental dams) during sex because of the new, raging, antibiotic resistant forms of gonorrhoea doing the rounds.
Yes, the pesky gonorrhoea bacteria have evolved so well and so smartly that every single form of antibiotic that we have, dating back to the forties, no longer works on it now. Experts and scientists have had to create brand-new medications specifically to treat this one sexually transmitted infection; that’s how bad it is.
If you are female, you are 60% to 90% likely to catch gonorrhoea from a one-time encounter infected male partner, according to STD Center, New York.
If you are male, you are 20% likely to catch gonorrhoea from a one-time encounter with an infected female partner.
Those are some shitty odds.
Wear a fuckin’ condom and get the damn test.
Syphilis
So, condoms can help to prevent the spread of syphilis, but the sexually transmitted infection causes sores that are both infectious and found in places that, once again, condoms don’t cover.
You are 51% to 64% likely to catch syphilis from a one-time encounter with an infected sexual partner.
This is a nasty, mean, motherfucker of an infection when it’s not treated, and that’s before we talk about the common link between syphilis and HIV. The same sexual behaviour causes both conditions, and it’s not uncommon for people with syphilis to contract HIV at the same time.
Oral, anal, and vaginal sex is the most common form of syphilis transmission, but the STI can also be passed on by contact with one of the sores.
Untreated syphilis can cause some really nasty symptoms and side effects, especially if it travels to other parts of the body, commonly:
- Ears – otosyphilis
- Eyes – ocular syphilis
- Brain/nervous system – neurosyphilis
These can lead to a host of issues, including blindness, hearing loss, dementia and other mental state changes, chronic debilitating headaches, and worse.
Regular testing means early detection, which in turn means prompt treatment – a simple course of antibiotics. It’s a small price to pay to keep your sight, hearing, and motor functions, don’t you think?
Which STIs Do Condoms Not Protect You From?
Condoms can still help you prevent the sexually transmitted infections that we’re about to talk about… but the level of protection is further reduced from the ones that we’ve already discussed.
(Still, wear a condom.)
HPV
Human papillomavirus, known as HPV, refers to approximately two hundred strains of a virus that can cause genital warts, finger warts, respiratory tract warts (yes: that’s a real thing,) and the following types of cancer:
- Throat
- Tonsils
- Base of the tongue
- Cervical
- Vaginal
- Vulval
- Anal
- Penile
There are two main types of HPV, and only one of them is classed as an STI group, known as mucosal or genital types.
The other is known as cutaneous types, which generally cause verrucae and finger/hand warts.
The STI types of HPV are so common that medical experts think of them as a cold or flu-type of infection. More than eighty percent of us have had at least one strain of HPV in our lives. Some strains don’t even require sexual contact for transmission. (HPV is hella confusing, to be honest.)
Because you don’t need to have sex to transmit HPV, condoms aren’t effective at preventing transmission. (But again, you should still wear them!)
You can now get an HPV vaccine, which offers protection from the most common strains. I highly recommend looking to see if you’re eligible. I would even go as far as to suggest paying for the vaccine privately if you have the means.
HPV is no joke. Trust me.
Get the fuckin’ vaccine and wear a fuckin’ condom.
HSV-1 and HSV-2
These two Star Wars-ass names belong to the herpes simplex family or viruses, and they’re more commonly known as genital herpes (which is not the same thing as genital warts from HPV,)
Once you have this virus, you have it for life. There is no cure, but it can be managed. Sometimes, there are no symptoms, but you can still be contagious without them.
I know, right? Whaaat?
You don’t need sexual fluids or penis-in-anywhere sex for transmission of genital herpes to occur; skin-on-skin contact is enough. If you don’t have symptoms, you won’t know to stop doing that, will you?
Alongside vulva, labia, scrotum, penis base, and all the other regular skin-on-skin contact points that condoms don’t cover, genital herpes can also be spread from the butt cheeks and inner thighs… even if you don’t have a single blister or symptom.
You can get tested for genital herpes (HSV-1 or HSV-2) by taking swabs from an active blister. You can get this done both in clinics and at home.
Blood tests are available to check for genital herpes, but they only really show the presence of certain antibodies. They’re often not that helpful, which is why they’re less common.
Scabies
As Sexual Health South West London states:
“As scabies is passed through direct physical contact, condoms can not prevent the transmission of scabies.”
You don’t need to have sex with someone to give or catch scabies; you just need to be in close skin-to-skin contact for a prolonged length of time – and this could be as simple as cuddling in bed together overnight.
Scabies is, in short, an infestation of tiny mites that burrow (literally) under your skin. They’re super tiny – microscopic – so they’re not easy to see at first. It’s only when the burrowing starts that you find yourself scratching like mad, with what looks like tiny spots all over your pubic area, and actual burrowing track marks.
The bug responsible for this trauma is called Sarcoptes scabiei, and it has the potential to live away from skin for up to three days. So, if one of you has scabies, the whole house and everyone you’ve shagged in it also has scabies… essentially.
Not just found in the groin area, scabies can affect armpits, the skin between fingers, waistline, and on or around wrists. All of these areas are contagious.
Condoms do absolutely sweet FA against scabies, but you should still wear one anyway.
Crabs
Wherever you have thick, coarse body hair, you’ll find crabs, also known as pubic lice, meaning that condoms definitely aren’t effective against this parasitic STI (which some excerpts argue isn’t an STI at all.)
You don’t need to have sex to transmit crabs, and they can also spread to other people by way of shared bedding, towels, and clothes.
They’re only a couple of millimetres in length, but you can at least see public lice a bit more than other STIs featured on this list.
Summary: Which STDs Do Condoms Not Protect From?
In summary, condoms aren’t effective to protect you from the following STIs:
- HPV
- HSV-1
- HSV-2
- Scabies
- Crabs
How To Protect Yourself Against STIs When Condoms Can’t
Protecting yourself against STIs requires a multifaceted approach, combining condoms, preventative meds or vaccinations, regular testing, and having actual conversations with your sexual partners. (Sorry.)
How much do you really give a shit about your genitals? Could you live without them? Without sex? No?
Do these instead:
Use Condoms
Not using condoms increases your chances of getting sexually transmitted infections by like, 100%. That’s not an exact figure, of course, but you’re literally playing Russian Roulette with your life, fertility, and sex life if you’re not careful.
If you fuck around, you actually will find out.
If you go out and have unsafe sex, you will need to face unsafe consequences.
For the love of sex, wear condoms for oral sex, anal sex, and vaginal sex.
Proper Condom Technique
One of the biggest things that cause condoms to fail in the fight back against sexually transmitted infections, is user error.
This includes things like:
- Tearing the condom while opening the foil packaging
- Choosing the wrong size or type of condom
- Breaking during sex
- Not usually lubricant (leading to breakage)
- Using the wrong lubricant for that condom type
- Using out of date condoms (yes: they have expiry dates)
- Incorrectly storing them in a wallet
- Not realising packaging was damaged
- No pinching of the tip
- Putting condom on too late
- Applying it incorrectly
- Inside-out’ing the condom
Accidents happen, of course, but it really is worth watching some videos (et al) of people correctly applying condoms, and reading the packing instructions properly to prevent not just STIs but also unwanted pregnancies.
Those few minutes of learning will save you a lot of heartache and medical appointments further down the line.
Here are some resources for you to learn how to correctly apply a condom:
Regular Testing
You don’t even need to go to a clinic these days for sexual health testing, so there’s really no excuse to not get tested. At-home tests are free in many parts, so there’s even less of an excuse. It’s not like you can’t get hold of a test, or fit a test in with your work schedule.
When it’s easier than ever to check, why on earth aren’t you getting checked?
It might seem a bit excessive to you, but I make every single sexual partner get tested before we have any sexual contact. I’ve only ever met one man that had a problem with it; the rest have pricked their fingers or pottered off to the clinic without even so much as a grumble.
If you both get tested beforehand, you’ll know exactly how to protect yourself. You can wait for a course of antibiotics to finish, or get yourself started on PrEP. It’s a much better approach than relying on condoms. I think we’ve shown that they’re not 100% effective at this point.
Regular testing also means that you can pick on a secret, hidden infection that might cause cancer. Oh, you think I’m joking? Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhoea all link to cancer in one form or another, directly or indirectly. The same applies for HPV, but male testing is not routine and is hard to come by. (But that’s another topic for another day, for sure.)
Vaccines and PrEP
The HPV and hepatitis vaccines, along with PrEP for HIV, are preventative approaches to sexually transmitted infections. They are there for a reason: to stop you from getting something that could potentially change the rest of your life for the worst.
How much fun do you think it is to have the inside of your cervix burned off while you’re awake, watching it on the big screen, and smelling your own burning flesh? That’s what you’re facing here – and that’s one of the best case scenarios. The HPV vaccine can help to stop that from happening; not completely, of course, but it does protect you against some of the fastest-spreading and most dangerous strains. HPV 16 is one of the most common, and it’s also the one that is most likely to cause cervical cancer.
PrEP prevents HIV.
The HPV vaccine prevents the worst HPV infections.
The MenB (meningitis B) vaccine even offers some protection against gonorrhoea, believed to be up to 40%.
These vaccines aren’t trying to connect you to the 6G network, or talk to aliens, or control your mind, or whatever other fuckery you crazy lot come up with; they exist to save your damn life.
If you don’t make the most of them, that’s on you, honestly.
DoxyPEP
In the same vein as preventative approaches to STIs, DoxyPEP, known medically as
In the same vein as preventative approaches to STIs, DoxyPEP, known medically as Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, is a type of antibiotic that works as a sort of morning-after pill, but for sexually transmitted infections instead of pregnancies. You take it after sex (within 72 hours) that could potentially have been unsafe, to try to stop any infections before they have the potential to start.
The use of this medication has reduce chlamydia and syphilis cases by as much as 70%, according to Jefferiss, Imperial College. For gonorrhoea it’s about 50%, which is lower, but still better than nothing at all.
Regular Smears
Both vaginal and anal smears (pap smears/smear tests) are vital for keeping yourself safe against some sexually transmitted infections, like the many strains of HPV (or human papillomavirus.)
Persistent, high-risk strains of HPV can cause sometimes aggressive types of genital cancer, eradicate your chances of having children “naturally,” cause warts on the fingers and genitals, and more. On the other hand, some people have multiple strains of HPV at the same time, without any changes or symptoms whatsoever.
Vaginal smears check for the presence of HPV, plus any cell changes that could indicate movement towards cancer (from that HPV.)
Anal smears check for the presence of cell changes that could, again, indicate movement towards cancer (but don’t always check for HPV, unfortunately. The presence of cell changes often indicates the presence of HPV, however.)
Conclusion: Which STIs Do Condoms Not Protect You From?
Condoms are designed to help prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancies, but they’re not 100% effective, what with user errors, ever-evolving and moving bacteria or viruses, and decisions taken under the influence (etc.)
Condoms offer one line of defence against sexually transmitted infections, but you must think of this situation as a battle in war. You can’t win a war with just ground troops alone; you need air troops, sea troops, intelligence folks, bosses who organise and plan, engineers to fix and adapt, and more.
You need the same strategy to win the war against STIs.
Condoms are the ground troops of the whole operation. They’re getting dirty, down in the trenches, keeping the bad guys at bay as best as they can. Gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and HIV are mostly taken down by these ground troops. They can’t do all the work, though; some of those bad guys aren’t down in the trenches and can’t be defeated that way.
Regular sexual health testing is the intelligence corps, gathering, listening, and learning. With intel, you can make a move against the non-trenches bad guys, plot the moves, or know what to avoid.
PrEP and vaccines are the big-ass Special Forces guys. They rush in, kill the big bad boss (HIV, HPV, Hep B, Hep C,) and make sure no big bad bosses have the potential to pop up afterwards.
You need all of those aspects and approaches to win the war, whether it’s a real war, or a sexually transmitted war.
I hope that you’ve found this information useful today… and you go on to have happy, healthy, safe sex!
Helpful Resources:
You can find more information on sexual health testing (and all the different ways to do it,) right here.
Got a question? You can contact me here, or ask me completely anonymously right here instead.
Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my blog today! 🖤
If you would like to know more about safe sex, STIs, or anything discussed in this blog post today, feel free to check out some of these: